Primary Care

University of Colorado Health offers a network of highly skilled primary care physicians across the Front Range—with specialties ranging from pediatric care to senior health.

Contact any of our primary care locations in Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Metro Denver or Colorado Springs where family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and senior care are offered and we'll help find the right provider for you.

About Primary Care

What is a primary care physician?

A primary care physician is a doctor of medicine or osteopathy who specializes in family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners are also primary care providers.

Your primary care physician is the person you choose to be your partner in health—be it for regular, preventive care or as your first contact for any medical problem that may arise. Your primary care physician also coordinates any other care you need, such as a visit to a specialist or hospitalization.

The type of primary care provider that’s best for you depends on the specific needs of you and your family.

How are family medicine and internal medicine different?

A family physician is trained to treat the health care needs of men, women and children of all ages throughout their lives.

Family physicians provide a wide range of health services, including preventive care, obstetrics, routine gynecological care and pediatric services, as well as care for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Internal medicine doctors, also known as internists, are trained specifically to care for adults age 18 and older—both healthy individuals as well as those who have complex medical issues, such as diabetes and heart disease.

What is a patient-centered medical home?

It is not a building, a hospital or a home. It’s the way we provide care. It’s a team-based approach, led by your primary care physician, that focuses on you and your unique health care needs.

What can a patient-centered medical home do for you?

Give you better, more personalized care, because your health care team knows you

Guide you through the complex healthcare system to help you get the care you need, either from us or from others

Offer you better access to care that is seamlessly coordinated between your doctor, hospitals and specialists.

Your health care team will partner with you to live a healthier life with preventive care rather than only reacting to sickness or injury. A medical home increases your access to care and manages your care within our office, hospitals, and your specialists.

What are the roles in a medical home clinic?

Our role as your healthcare team is to:

Practice preventative care rather than only reacting to illness or injury

Give you a safe setting to talk about private concerns

Work together with you, using shared decision making, to manage your health

Serve as the quarterback of your broader provider team, managing your care both inside and outside the practice

Keep you informed of the services offered within the practice

Give you and your family personalized and proven medical care

Your role as a patient is to:

Be an active member of your healthcare team

Write down a list of concerns and questions so we can talk about them

Give us a list of all your medications, including over-the-counter, so we can help prevent harmful interactions

Call us before you go to an emergency room or hospital, or at least let us know as soon as possible that you've gone

Make sure to tell other providers who your primary care provider is—and ask them to share the information from your visit with us

Proactively take care of your health

When should I go to my medical home clinic? When should I go to the emergency room?

Medical HomeVisit your medical home for problems that need immediate attention, but are not life-threatening:

Asthma

Fever

Flu

Infections

Injuries, sprains and cuts that need stitches

Sore throat/cough

Vomiting

And, as always, go to your medical home for:

Yearly physicals and immunizations (as needed for wellness and prevention)

Help managing chronic illnesses or conditions

Emergency RoomGo to the emergency room when you or a family member could or faced with a life-threatening condition or injury that requires immediate medical care: